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Asia Pacific markets started the trading week with gains despite China reporting that its economy grew at the lowest official pace in 28 years. Fourth quarter GDP growth was 6.4 percent, which was also in line with expectations. While Beijing’s official GDP figures are seen as one of the crucial indicators of China’s economic health, many outside experts have expressed skepticism about the veracity of the numbers. “Falling producer prices and new export orders point to a slowdown in China’s grow

Asia Pacific markets started the trading week with gains despite China reporting that its economy grew at the lowest official pace in 28 years.

The world’s second-largest economy grew 6.6 percent in 2018, which matched analysts’ expectations, and was lower than a revised 6.8 percent growth in 2017. Fourth quarter GDP growth was 6.4 percent, which was also in line with expectations.

“I think what we’re seeing actually in the fourth quarter is that while the economy is decelerating, we actually still have some of the supports,” Helen Zhu, head of China equities at Blackrock, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Monday. “For example, for most of the quarter, from the export front loading impact that we had probably before the Argentina G-20 (summit) when people’s expectations regarding trade became a little bit more optimistic.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a 90-day pause in tariff escalation at the G-20 summit in Argentina late in 2018.

While Beijing’s official GDP figures are seen as one of the crucial indicators of China’s economic health, many outside experts have expressed skepticism about the veracity of the numbers.

Raymond Yeung, chief economist for Greater China at the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, wrote in a note that China’s GDP numbers are “not an accurate gauge” of its economic growth. Still, he pointed out, the gap between the actual figures and the official targets usually shapes the government’s policy stance.

“Falling producer prices and new export orders point to a slowdown in China’s growth momentum,” Yeung added. “To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2019, President Xi (Jinping) will still likely launch growth-supportive policies.”

The mainland Chinese markets, closely watched as a result of the ongoing U.S.-China trade fight, saw gains on the back of the data release. The Shanghai composite rose more than 0.5 percent to close at about 2,610.51 while the Shenzhen composite gained 0.607 percent to end its trading day at around 1,330.17. The Shenzhen component also advanced 0.592 percent to close at approximately 7,626.24.

Asia stocks mostly gained Friday amid improved investor sentiment following overnight gains on Wall Street. The mainland Chinese markets, watched in relation to the ongoing trade war between Beijing and Washington, were higher on the day. The moves followed after officials from Washington and Beijing met for trade talks earlier this week — details about the progress were sparse. U.S. and China have halted an ongoing trade war to try and resolve sticking issues on a number of areas. “There are so

The mainland Chinese markets, watched in relation to the ongoing trade war between Beijing and Washington, were higher on the day. The Shanghai composite was up about 0.74 percent to close around 2,553.83 while the Shenzhen composite gained 0.758 percent to about 1,313.36. The Shenzhen component also rose 0.611 percent to close around 7,474.01.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained about 0.5 percent, as of its final hour of trade.

The moves followed after officials from Washington and Beijing met for trade talks earlier this week — details about the progress were sparse. U.S. and China have halted an ongoing trade war to try and resolve sticking issues on a number of areas. Analysts who spoke to CNBC on Friday were divided whether a deal between the two economic powerhouses would be forthcoming.

“I think (U.S. President Donald) Trump wants to have a win and (Chinese leader) Xi Jinping desperately needs to have a win. So, I think they’re gonna come to some agreement … probably in the first quarter,” Andrew Collier, managing director at Orient Capital Research, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Friday.

Collier said, however, trade frictions between Washington and Beijing are unlikely to end as “China clearly … is a threat to the United States and plus it has done many things that many countries disagree with.”

Others did not agree.

“There are some that would argue that the Trump administration needs a deal, given that they’re walking into an election cycle in 2020 … I would respectfully disagree,” James Sullivan, head of equity research ex-Japan at J.P. Morgan, said. “What the Trump administration needs to do is incite his base. A deal, by definition, means compromise. Compromise doesn’t incite.”

Asia markets mostly slipped on Thursday following lower-than-expected Chinese inflation data while investors digested the conclusion of a three-day trade negotiation between the Beijing and Washington. Mainland Chinese markets, watched by investors in relation to the ongoing trade war, experienced a turbulent trading day that saw stocks close in negative territory. The moves came after official Chinese inflation data for December, released at the same time as the market open, came in below expec

Asia markets mostly slipped on Thursday following lower-than-expected Chinese inflation data while investors digested the conclusion of a three-day trade negotiation between the Beijing and Washington.

Mainland Chinese markets, watched by investors in relation to the ongoing trade war, experienced a turbulent trading day that saw stocks close in negative territory. The Shanghai composite slipped 0.36 percent to close at 2,535.28 while the Shenzhen composite shed 0.265 percent to 1,303.48. The Shenzhen component also fell 0.259 percent to close at around 7,428.61.

The moves came after official Chinese inflation data for December, released at the same time as the market open, came in below expectations.

China’s December consumer inflation (CPI) — a gauge of prices for goods and services — rose 1.9 percent on year. That was lower than economists’ expectations of a 2.1 percent growth, according to a Reuters’ poll. Producer inflation rose 0.9 percent on-year in December, which was lower than the 1.6 percent economists were expecting.

The latest inflation figures came on the back of poorer-than-expected Chinese manufacturing data for December.

Economic data from the world’s second-largest economy has been closely watched by investors for signs of damage inflicted by the trade war between Beijing and Washington. To stimulate a slowing economy, the Chinese government has taken measures such as reducing the reserves required to be held by banks in the country to encourage lending.

“There is clearly a big slowdown … (in) the Chinese economy and the measures so far are not enough to revive (it). At best, they could stabilize the situation probably in the second half, and we’re still at the beginning of the first quarter,” David Gaud, chief investment officer of Asia at Pictet Wealth Management, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Thursday.

“Whatever they do right now, it’s gonna be really tough and the first quarter is going to be challenging,” said Gaud.

The Shanghai composite declined by 0.26 percent to close at 2,526.46 while the Shenzhen composite slipped 0.117 percent to finish at about 1,299.89. Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese automaker Geely plummeted almost 11 percent after the company predicted flat sales for 2019. Investors were on the lookout for developments on the second day of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China. “China would need to significantly re-calibrate its industrial policies to fully meet the US trade team’s de

The Shanghai composite declined by 0.26 percent to close at 2,526.46 while the Shenzhen composite slipped 0.117 percent to finish at about 1,299.89. The Shenzhen component also fell 0.116 percent to close at 7,391.65.

Over in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was largely flat during its final hour of trading. Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese automaker Geely plummeted almost 11 percent after the company predicted flat sales for 2019.

Investors were on the lookout for developments on the second day of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China.

China said on Monday that it is willing to resolve its trade disputes with the U.S. on an equal footing, according to Lu Kang, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.

One economist expressed caution over the talks.

“It still looks like we’re talking more about superficialities … than some of the fundamental issues,” Simon Baptist, global chief economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday morning.

“What really matters is these issues over market access, that’s the thing the U.S. firms care about. Having a level playing field when they’re competing in China … against the (state-owned enterprises) and others. And then also, the issues around intellectual property and technology transfer,” Baptist said.

“The EIU is still not optimistic about both sides coming to a substantive deal by 1st March,” said another EIU analyst, Nick Marro, said in a note. “China would need to significantly re-calibrate its industrial policies to fully meet the US trade team’s demands. The limited policy movement that we’ve seen so far suggests that a game-changing deal remains unlikely.”

Over in the U.S., Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday that U.S. tariffs have placed pressure on China’s economy and ability to create jobs to avert social unrest.

The U.S. and China slapped a series of punitive tariffs on each other’s goods last year, sparking concerns over a global economic slowdown.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index extended gains to rise about 2 percent, as of its final hour of trade. The positive moves in China came after the country’s commerce ministry announced that vice ministerial level trade talks with the U.S. would be held on Jan. 7-8. South Korea’s Kospi also recovered from its earlier losses to close 0.83 percent higher at 2,010.25. Australia stocks fell as the benchmark ASX 200 slipped 0.25 percent to close at 5,619.4. National Australia Bank, on the other hand, recov

Asia markets were mostly higher on Friday as developments on the U.S.-China trade front overcame fears of a slowdown in the global economy which resulted in sharp declines in stocks stateside overnight.

The Chinese mainland markets rebounded strongly after an earlier slip. The Shanghai composite bounced about 2.05 percent higher to close at around 2,514.87 and the Shenzhen composite jumped 2.658 percent to finish its trading day at approximately 1,279.49. The Shenzhen component rose 2.756 percent to close at about 7,284.84.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index extended gains to rise about 2 percent, as of its final hour of trade.

The positive moves in China came after the country’s commerce ministry announced that vice ministerial level trade talks with the U.S. would be held on Jan. 7-8.

The development on the trade front was also bolstered by positive data from China’s services sector. The Caixin/Markit services purchasing managers’ index jumped to a six-month high of 53.9 in December, rising from 53.8 in the previous month. The figure was significantly higher than the 50.0 mark which separates expansion from contraction.

The data came days after China reported a decline in its factory activity for December.

South Korea’s Kospi also recovered from its earlier losses to close 0.83 percent higher at 2,010.25.

Japan’s Nikkei 225, however, dropped 2.26 percent to close at 19,561.96 while the Topix index fell 1.53 percent to finish the trading day at 1,471.16, with most sectors seeing declines. Shares of Japanese conglomerate Softbank fell 2.89 percent and Fast Retailing, the company behind the Uniqlo chain of apparel stores, dropped 5.45 percent. Stocks in Japan were closed on Wednesday and Thursday for holidays.

Australia stocks fell as the benchmark ASX 200 slipped 0.25 percent to close at 5,619.4.

The heavily-weighted financial subindex declined 0.34 percent as shares of the country’s so-called Big Four banks were mixed; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group slipped 0.37 percent and Westpac saw losses of 0.04 percent. National Australia Bank, on the other hand, recovered from earlier losses to rise 0.21 percent while Commonwealth Bank of Australia was slightly higher.

“For the brave, now would be a good time to be looking at … some of these markets,” Stefan Hofer, a managing director and chief investment strategist at LGT Bank Asia, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday. Hofer added that liquidity and trading volumes are “still quite thin at the outset of the year.”

“Fundamentally speaking, I think if we do have a trade deal with China, let’s say, by the middle of 2019, then Asia … will be the place to be in terms of equities,” he said, adding that the ongoing U.S.-China trade war has been “the major overhang that has been a problem” for Asian markets.

South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.81 percent to finish its trading day at 1,993.70 as shares of Apple suppliers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix dropped 2.97 percent and 4.79 percent, respectively. Over in the Greater China region, the Hang Seng index gave up earlier gains to slip 0.22 percent, as of its final hour of trade. The mainland Chinese markets, watched in relation to Beijing’s ongoing tariff fight with Washington, reversed its earlier gains. The Shanghai composite closed largely flat at about

Major stocks indexes in Asia were mostly lower on Thursday as U.S. futures pointed to another volatile session for Wall Street after Apple lowered guidance for first quarter and warned of weaker sales in China.

South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.81 percent to finish its trading day at 1,993.70 as shares of Apple suppliers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix dropped 2.97 percent and 4.79 percent, respectively.

Over in the Greater China region, the Hang Seng index gave up earlier gains to slip 0.22 percent, as of its final hour of trade.

The mainland Chinese markets, watched in relation to Beijing’s ongoing tariff fight with Washington, reversed its earlier gains. The Shanghai composite closed largely flat at about 2,464.36 while the tech-heavy Shenzhen composite fell 0.798 percent to finish its trading day at around 1,246.37. The Shenzhen component lost 0.837 percent to close at about 7,089.44.

The ASX 200 in Australia, however, rose 1.36 percent to close at 5,633.40, with all the sectors seeing gains. The energy subindex rose 2.97 percent as shares of oil-related companies saw gains on the back of Wednesday’s strong rally in oil prices. Santos jumped 3.98 percent, Oil Search rose 2.59 percent and Woodside Petroleum advanced 3.44 percent.

“Asian markets may attempt to recover some of yesterday’s losses but are likely to remain cautious for now and await further cues on the US,” said OCBC Treasury Research in a morning note.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a decline of 367 points at the index’s Thursday open, as of 6:28 a.m. Nasdaq-100 futures lost 2.67 percent. The Invesco QQQ Trust, which tracks the tech heavy Nasdaq-100 Index, lost more than 2 percent in premarket trading. Chip stocks Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, Skyworks and Qorvo all dropped in premarket trading on the Apple warning. Skyworks lost more than 5 percent.

It’s going to be a tough day for technology stocks on Thursday after Apple warned first-quarter sales would be less than it previously expected. The broader stock market will suffer too as the iPhone maker blamed a slowing Chinese economy for the shortfall.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a decline of 367 points at the index’s Thursday open, as of 6:28 a.m. ET Thursday. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures were off by more than 1.6 percent. Nasdaq-100 futures lost 2.67 percent. Apple’s stock was down more than 8 percent in premarket trading. The Invesco QQQ Trust, which tracks the tech heavy Nasdaq-100 Index, lost more than 2 percent in premarket trading.

Apple said it sees first-quarter revenue of $84 billion vs. a previous guidance of a range of $89 billion and $93 billion. Analysts expected revenue of $91.3 billion for the period, according to the consensus estimate from FactSet. Apple blamed most of the revenue shortfall for struggling business in China. But the company also said that upgrades by customers in other countries were “not as strong as we thought they would be.”

Chip stocks Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, Skyworks and Qorvo all dropped in premarket trading on the Apple warning. Skyworks lost more than 5 percent.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC on Wednesday that he believed the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China “put additional pressure” on Asia’s largest economy. Hours after the publication of those comments, China’s overall tech sector fell slightly and shares of some Apple suppliers dove during Thursday’s mid-morning Asian trading. Recent economic data from China has pointed to a slowing economy, with the country’s manufacturing sector shrinking in December. Cook’s Wednesday comments came

Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC on Wednesday that he believed the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China “put additional pressure” on Asia’s largest economy.

Hours after the publication of those comments, China’s overall tech sector fell slightly and shares of some Apple suppliers dove during Thursday’s mid-morning Asian trading.

China’s tech-heavy Chinext composite fell about 1 percent to close at around 1,487.30. The Shenzhen composite ended its trading day lower by 0.798 percent at approximately 1,246.37 while the Shenzhen component saw losses of 0.837 percent to close at about 7,089.44. Because of their composition, the Shenzhen indexes are closely watched as indicators of Chinese tech shares.

The Chinese stock markets are heavily influenced by retail investors, who are thought to be driven more by short-term sentiment than institutional investors. Recent economic data from China has pointed to a slowing economy, with the country’s manufacturing sector shrinking in December.

Cook’s Wednesday comments came as Apple moved to cut its revenue guidance for the first quarter.

The tech giant blamed a variety of factors for the lowered guidance, including a weakening economy in China and lower-than-expected iPhone revenue. Apple said the lower-than-anticipated revenue happened “primarily in Greater China,” but also said that upgrades to new iPhone models in other countries were “not as strong as we thought they would be.”

The Shanghai composite fell 1.15 percent to close at 2,465.29 while the Shenzhen composite finished 0.905 percent lower at about 1,256.39 and the Shenzhen component lost 1.25 percent to end its trading day at around 7,149.27. The moves came after a private survey showed manufacturing activity in China contracted for the first time in 19 months in December. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ index (PMI), fell to 49.7 from 50.2 in November — its first contraction since May 2017.

Chinese shares slipped on the day. The Shanghai composite fell 1.15 percent to close at 2,465.29 while the Shenzhen composite finished 0.905 percent lower at about 1,256.39 and the Shenzhen component lost 1.25 percent to end its trading day at around 7,149.27.

The moves came after a private survey showed manufacturing activity in China contracted for the first time in 19 months in December.

The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ index (PMI), fell to 49.7 from 50.2 in November — its first contraction since May 2017.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected only a marginal dip from November to 50.1.

“It is confirming that we know that the trade war has had an impact,” Gareth Nicholson, head of fixed income at Bank of Singapore, told CNBC minutes after the data release on Monday. Nicholson was referring to the ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war.

“The stimulus measure is probably needed if they want … to kind of keep up the growth levels that they have had. The PMI is kind of showing that,” Nicholson said.

Official manufacturing PMI released on Monday showed a slowdown in activity for the month of December as the sector contracted for the first time in more than two years, dropping below the critical 50 level.

Referring to Monday’s data, Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, said in a morning note: “China’s manufacturing PMI slumping to almost three year-lows of 49.4 (the first contractionary read since mid-2016 and lowest since Feb 2016) justifiably raises a few red flags; and not just for China, with Asian exporters likely to feel the ripples.”

“The devilish details arguably render this slump even more worrying; even if the downturn is not entirely surprising given more challenging global trade conditions,” the economist said.

The private survey focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises while the official PMI gauge focuses on large companies and state-owned enterprises.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell around 3 percent, as of its final hour of trading, with shares of Chinese tech heavyweight Tencent declining approximately 2.4 percent.

Stocks in Asia were mixed on the final day of 2018, as most major markets around the globe were set to record calendar year declines. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.34 percent to finish the trading year at 25,845.70. The day’s gains, however, were unable to offset the index’s performance for 2018 — with it declining about 13.61 percent as compared to its final close of 2017. Hong Kong’s markets closed at 12:00 p.m. HK/SIN today for New Year’s Eve. The benchmark Australian index ended 2018 lo

Stocks in Asia were mixed on the final day of 2018, as most major markets around the globe were set to record calendar year declines.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.34 percent to finish the trading year at 25,845.70. The day’s gains, however, were unable to offset the index’s performance for 2018 — with it declining about 13.61 percent as compared to its final close of 2017. Hong Kong’s markets closed at 12:00 p.m. HK/SIN today for New Year’s Eve.

The ASX 200 in Australia, meanwhile, slipped 0.14 percent to close out 2018 at 5,646.40. The benchmark Australian index ended 2018 lower by 6.9 percent as compared to its final close of 2017. Australia’s markets closed at 11:10 a.m. HK/SIN today for New Year’s Eve.

On Monday, the materials subindex Down Under gained 0.4 percent, as shares of major miners advanced. Rio Tinto rose 0.50 percent, Fortescue advanced 1.21 percent and BHP Billiton climbed up by 0.82 percent.